Monday, January 29, 2007

And a Few More Things About Italy

Sunday vs. Monday in Florence was like two different cities. ZERO happening on Sunday. Most everything was closed except for church and no one was out on the streets. I woke up on Monday and it was a lively and happening place. Thriving, full of people, all of whom walk about half as fast as I do on extremely narrow sidewalks...My pensione is absolutely charming. Recommended by my friend Claudia, and a little off the beaten track on Via Della Pergola near Galleria Dell'Accademia, and called Residenzia Il Villino and is run by a husband and wife team who are all kinds of helpful, speak perfect English, and provide free internet service...Had nothing but good food today, including a 2.50 panino bollito (boiled beef sandwich) from Nerbone amongst the hoi polloi of Florence at the Mercato Centrale; Bisteca alla Forentina at Sostanza; and gelato twice, including a ricotta with something salty and crunchy in it from Gelateria di Neri on Via del Neri near Santa Croche (they didn't have the gorgonzola gelato)...It's damn near impossible to eat outside on the steps of anywhere here, for the pigeons are the most aggressive I have seen anywhere. Start chowing down, and they come at you like a herd of rats, crowding around and brushing up against your legs. Totally skeeeeeeves me out beyond belief. As I once said to the forest ranger I was dating from Olympia, WA and made him instantly get over me, I hate birds....I now have a wardrobe full of scarves from shopping at the San Lorenzo market, all a mere $12 each...Culture Club is apparently still huge here. I have not heard so much Boy George on the radio since 1985, and it makes me wonder how he can be so unfortunate as to get busted and have to do community service/picking up garbage in NYC for his latest drug escapade when he must still be getting royalties from across Europe.